RPG Maker VX Ace is the latest and greatest engine in the RPG Maker series, improving on every aspect of creating your very own epic adventure. The most powerful editor yet, Ace supports multiple tilesets, offers full control over autoshadow and has a very flexible features system.

July 14

This years IGMC has been launched, and there is still time for you to get involved!

You can win massive cash prizes, with the Grand Prize being over $17,000 and still growing at the time I'm writing this, for making the best game possible before August 7th! RPG Maker is even considered one of the Prize Engines, which means that not only could you win the Grand Prize, you also have a chance to win as the best RPG Maker game in the contest!

For more information, check out the contest site here, and read the rules here!

About This Software

Simple Enough for a Child. Powerful Enough for a Developer.

RPG Maker VX Ace is the latest and greatest engine in the RPG Maker series, improving on every aspect of creating your very own epic adventure. The most powerful editor yet, Ace supports multiple tilesets, offers full control over autoshadow and has a very flexible features system.

Ace gives you all the tools you need to make that game you’ve always dreamed of, including the following features:

• A powerful map editor to build your world.
• A database to track your characters, skill, equipment and more, all improved with the powerful new flexible Features system.
• New event options, including support for Ogg Theora video.
• An expansive set of default resources, including a built in character generator to create your own sprites and faces.

Key Features

Simple, Powerful Tools RPG Maker VX Ace brings powerful new tools to the table to enhance your RPG-making potential. None of the previous engines can match Ace for flexibility, even for users with no coding knowledge. These features are powerful but also very easy to learn, with most accessed through a simple point and click interface.

Enhanced Default Graphics RPG Maker VX Ace offers a large collection of new graphics, including 4 tilesets and the long-requested set of fallen character sprites. The engine is also compatible with all of the existing fan-made RPG Maker VX resources.

Export Your Game Once you’re ready to show your project off, you can easily export your game into a portable EXE file that can be played on ANY Windows system. Share it with your friends, family or with the vibrant RPG Maker community on the internet.

My preferred tool for creating my own role-playing game! Lots of fun to use, especially if you have your own dream RPG in mind!

RPG Maker VX Ace is for you if:- You love single-player 2D role-playing games!- You are new to game development.- You want to create an RPG for fun or as a hobby.- You want to sell your game.- You have little or no programming experience (or, if you do and enjoy scripting!).- You want your game to be single-player (no multi-player capabilities).- You are OK with your game only running on Windows, not on Macs or mobile devices (although, a programmer could attempt to port your game using tools such as MKXP).

Choosing Your Game Engine:

RPG Maker is a clear excellent choice if you want to create a single-player 2D role-playing game. That is what RPG Maker does best, and it is wonderful to work with such a powerful, easy-to-use tool when developing an RPG!

However, if you want to build a 2D game that is not an RPG, such as a platformer/jumping game or an action/shooter game, or if your dream is to make a game like Zelda III, you may prefer Game Maker https://www.yoyogames.com/studio or Unity https://unity3d.com/unity (although impressive things have been done with the RPG Maker "Zelda Engine"; but if you embark on such a project with RPG Maker, you need to be a scripter). But if you'd like a few jumping puzzles, adventure components, or other features like those in Final Fantasy IV or VI, Dragon Quest IV, or Chrono Trigger, or even a free-movement battle system like Secret of Mana, RPG Maker's base features along with scripts in the community together allow for a variety of possible game types using RPG Maker!

Unity is great for both 2D and 3D games, and a great choice for somebody planning a career in professional game development, but takes longer to learn than Game Maker. Both allow for multi-player games, which RPG Maker cannot do.

Also, Unity and Game Maker can run games on any platform (Windows, Mac, mobile), while RPG Maker games only run on Windows (unless you attempt a port with a tool like MKXP, but note that you must watch what art and music you include in your game, due to copyright issues on non-Windows platforms with some artwork). If you are OK with this, you will gain the extra power RPG Maker gives you to complete your dream role-playing game! Compared to Game Maker or Unity, RPG Maker is much easier to use.

Which is Better, RPG Maker XP or VX Ace?

If you have never used an RPG Maker product before, I recommend RPG Maker VX Ace. But I've only ever used Ace, so you can decide for yourself! See RabbitGaming's video for a great comparison of the lead RPG Maker products: RPG Maker VX Ace and RPG Maker XP:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZrOmGtrIKU

Selling Your Game:

RPG Maker VX Ace games can be sold, and do not require the purchaser to have bought an RPG Maker product. So, you can sell your game! However, if you use art, music, or scripts not included with the base product, their terms of use might prevent you from selling your game. Keep track of what you add to your project if you intend to sell it.

Note: You might not make any money with your game. So, do it for the love of your game. Don't quit your day job! If you make money, congrats! Your game is among amazing titles like "Skyborn" and "To the Moon", among many other games made using RPG Maker that are available in the Steam Store: http://store.steampowered.com/tag/en/RPGMaker/

Original Art:

There are many talented artists who sell their art specifically for RPG Maker VX Ace designers, so you can purchase art that allows you to use it in a commercial product. Or, you can create your own original art or music and add it to your project!

Learning Curve:

RPG Maker VX Ace requires about 5 hours to learn the basics. You can save yourself some trouble by looking up an intro YouTube video, such as: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SneWwiI5v1k To become familiar with all the advanced options (event commands, parallax mapping, etc) that come standard with the software, it may require 20 to 30 hours, but your game may only require a handfull of these advanced features, depending on the game you make. Finally, RPG Maker VX Ace has a built-in scripting feature, and it may require 5 to 10 hours to find online and test some free (or purchased) scripts from talented scripters/programmers.

Free Scripts:

Scripts can add an awesome unique flavor to your game. For example, many developers add scripts to customize the default battle system, and there are many excellent scripts for various styles of battle system. Other scripts add lighting effects, while others add adventure-style jumping, weapons, or puzzles. There are many scripts already created and available, and many of those scripts are free to use in commercial projects.

If you have a solid programming background already, you can also script basically anything you want within a 2D environment. The scripting language is Ruby and an experienced programmer can learn using online resources for RGSS3.

How Multiple Developers can work on One Project:

If you have multiple developers, you could take turns working on the same project on one computer. Or, you could split up the project into components, and have each person work on only one component, such as one on scripts and one on maps, and then bring the files together to see them in action. However, I recommend using a subversion system, such as TortoiseSVN, used in conjunction with a file sharing system, such as Assembla or DropBox, so multiple developers can work on a single project simultaneously or from different computers/locations.

An Example Development Team:

Our developing group is using RPG Maker VX Ace to create an indie game. We are three developers with various roles in the development process, and only rarely able to meet in person. We share our work easily by using TortoiseSVN linked by Assembla, so that each developer always has the latest update. Rarely, when using DropBox (which does not host), our team member who is our TortoiseSVN expert had to fix the files. Now we use an Assembla Repository, which hosts and so works smoothly, no hiccups.

Completing Your Game:

If you are imagining yourself creating an epic RPG like Dragon Quest IV, Final Fantasy VI, or Chrono Trigger, you have found (in my honest opinion) the best tool for accomplishing your dream! However, expect it to take about 10000+ hours, at least, to accomplish your goal; if you have multiple developers in your team, this obviously can cut the workload down to size! However, if you are imagining a game like Dragon Quest I or II, or the original Final Fantasy, you could be done in more like 1000+ hours. Search "RPG Maker" in the Steam Store, and you will find amazing titles to use as examples.

First of all, if you don't feel like reading the whole review, I'll say that this program is easy to use and does not require programming.Now, the classic review:Pros:+Easy to use, does not require programming+Comfortable to use and learned quickly+Possilbe to use programming (Ruby)+Many characters and enemies+DLCs which give more enemies+Sample maps (for the lazy people between us xD)+Character generator+Possible to divide the maps into 4 groups (indoor, outdoor, dungeon and field)+Many sounds, music and DLCs which add more+Possible to upload a music into the program to use it+Many options to use without programming+Many sample characters+Sample pictures of main menu or you can make one of your own+Many sample classes, weapons, items and able to make more+May do custom skills with custom effects on cast.

Cons:-Graphics are much like the same-Many options of the 'none programming' have to do with consequences branch and may be hard to do one-Main menu is always the same, 3 options (New game, load game, exit)-Isn't easy to put voice acting and text at the same time (requires consequences branch)-Hard making the people move as you wanted-Not possible to play only specific map (for debugging)-Monsters and characters from DLCs don't look like the ones from the sample or from the character generator-You cannot make a skill hurt both user and enemy

Neutral:~Takes a lot of time to make a game (what did you expect?), as from my experience it's about 1 hour of work= 1-2 minutes of gameplay.

After all, I made an awesome game for a good friend of mine.The score is... 8.5/10 and I absolutely recommend this!

Haven't realy dived into making a project yet. But i'll give insight on what i've seen so far.

For one, understand two things.

1. Yeah, playing around with it will help, but watching videos will take you less than two hours and you can learn basics incredibly easily.

2. Yeah, the basic structure doesn't require scripting. But keep in mind, even if you decide to take the route of simplicity, understand that a game that you will find yourself proud of making, will take time no matter what approach you take customization wise.

I haven't really drawn up anything to make yet, but I can assure you, once I do indeed think of a concept, I will revise this to accompany the proccess of putting a full game together.

From what i've seen, the software is very user friendly, maps are incredibly easy to make, and honestly, I could spend hours picking away at the database fine-tuning stats of a game i've made. Plenty of texture packages seem to be available + community support. Why I can say I probably wouldn't have bought this product for 70$, Being under 20$ is an amazing price and I recommend those who read to take advantage of this offer.